An improved fishing lure is the quest of many fishermen and has been the subject of many patents. It is generally known by fishermen and verified through scientific experiments that fish are attracted by light. Thus, an effective fishing lure must attract fish to strike, and one approach is to include some optical attracting device. As a second requirement, a lure must be capable of retaining the fish after the fish has struck the lure and is "hooked". Finally, it is desired that a fishing lure be adaptable to the environment in which it shall be used.
It is well known that a typical fishing lure may be weighted or include planar or curvilinear surfaces designed to deflect fluid flow upward and thereby urge the lure into deeper water. If a lure is to be used in weedy areas, a weedless hook device may be employed to help reduce or prevent snagging of the hook on the weeds. In flowing bodies of water, a lure which is less affected by the moving water provides a significant advantage in placement or movement of the lure through the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,405,475 to Ross discloses a fishing lure formed substantially of channel shape and adapted for disposition transverse to the direction of movement in water. The channel includes a lower or bottom portion, an upturned front well or portion provided with a forwardly extending inclined continuation or offset, and a rear upturned wall or portion disposed substantially parallel to the front wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,208,822 to Bryant discloses a fishing lure having a flexible resilient intermediate body portion which upon imparting a sudden jerk to the line will cause the intermediate portion to collapse in a manner which simulates the movement of a squid through the water. The collapsing intermediate portion of the lure also generates an audible sound which is much like the sound made by a squid.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,667,008 to Baum discloses a two part shock absorbing triggered release rigging design that releases a trolling line when a fish strikes. The Baum device uses a wire harness and a separate lure is typically attached to the harness by a leader. The trolling release rigging in FIG. 1 illustrates a leader 12 which connects to a lure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,293,791 to Hinkson discloses a fishing gear for use with small bait fish which is inserted into the mouth end of a bait fish to stiffen and shape it. The objective of the Hinkson device is to hook up to a herring in such a manner that attachment is secure and the bait fish retains an appearance effective to attract predatory fish such as salmon. The Hinkson apparatus is formed of wire and inserted into the mouth of live bait.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,036,380 to Tileston discloses a device wherein cuts are made in a blank and wings are formed by bending the cut-out portion away from the blank. The wings impart a moment force to the lure causing the lure to spin as it is drawn through the water.
U.S. Pat. No. 576,680 to Kittle includes a feature similar to the Tileston device in that wings projecting out from a central portion of the lure induce a moment force to the lure as it is drawn through the water. The lure responds to the moment force by rotating as it is drawn through the water.
None of the above references discloses a fishing lure which is stable in attitude and resistant to lateral movement when disposed in cross-flowing water thereby enabling an angler to more precisely position the fishing lure. Such a fishing lure is needed for use in fast flowing brooks and streams.